Steam-trap.



UNITED s'rn'rns PATENT OFFICE..

...,LoUIsn. MERTENS, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNsYLvANIA, AssIeNon 'roorIARLr-:s J.

MILLER, or BHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

vsTunisi-raar.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patentednov. 2,6, 191e.

Application led October 20, 1917. Serial No. 197,571.

ToaZZ whom t may concern:

. Be it known that' I, Louis R. MnR'rnNs, a

citizen of the United States, vresiding' at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Steam-Traps, of

-which the following is a full, clear, andexact description,'reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specication.

My invention relates to that type of trap designed for the purpose of collectingthe condensation of highv and low pressure exhaust `mains or other high or low pressure drains. The invention has the known mode of operation, wherein, when the condensate inthe trap reaches apredetermined level,

` the trap-'clears itself, and when the trap is substantially cleared the discharge closes until the Vwater again reaches al given height. Such traps, however, usually comprise a steam valve which is opened by a float, when the latter reaches a given height, to admit steam from the trap chamber to a cylinder, thereby operating a piston which, through appropriate connections, opens the water `discharge valve.` Under normal conditions theoperation of the best type of such traps Vmay be satisfactory; but abnormal vconditions more or less frequently arise thaty render the trap temporarily inoperative. Thus, a sudden iniow of water into the' trap beyond the capacity of the discharge to carry Voff willll the trap, cause water to escape through the open steam valve' and flood the entire apparatus. The present invention is designed and adapted to overcome this and other objections to known traps.

One of the novel features of my improved trap is the provision of an ordinary unbalanced water discharge valve which the pressure of water in the tank tends to open but which'is heldclosed by steam pressure. Another novel feature is the provision of a normally-fopen steam valve which allows the steam pressure to normally act upon the p y water discharge valve to close it and which is closed when the water inthe trap reaches a given level, provision being made to then relieve the steam pressure to permit the water ,discharge valve to operate.k With jsu'chfa'construction, there is no possibility i of flooding the apparatus, because the steam valve closes when the waterreaches a given heighty and remains closeduntil the water level drops below that height, so that a temporary excessive inow of water will necessarily backup in the supply pipe. Other features of novelty will be` disclosed in the detailed description of the trap, a preferred form of which is shown in the drawings in which the figure is a front view of the trap on spaced-apart nuts ly'.

Fastened to the under side of the cover f is a hanger le. .One end 0f a lever gf is pivoted to the hanger. Near its pivoted end thelever g extends between the nuts j in operative relation therewith. To the other end of lever g is pivoted the upper end of a link n.' Below the lever g and pivoted tothe opposite side of the hanger at 0 is a weighted lever p. The lighter end'of theleverp is pivotedv near the flower end of the link n. The-extreme loweren'd of lever 'n yis inA operative relation with a vstop m onthe hanger.

The leverg and the cross-member ofthe hanger are provided with holes through which the stemaa of the valve float s extends. On the stem r are adjustably fastened the stops t and u, which limit the up and down movements of the float.

To the cover f is fastened a cylinder v centered over the needle valve it. The cylinder has a trough-shaped base formed by the annular iange fw. Withinthe cylinder is a piston the head of whichv extends beyond the outer wall of the cylinder and from which 'the annular angeo extends downward below the top of the {iange wwhen in itsy lower position. The base of the trough, at one point in its circumference, is thickened and through this thick part of the base is formed a steam or vapor escape aperture e. To the top ofthe casing is fastened a bracket'2, to which ispivoted, kvnear onerend,

a lever 3. To the long end of the lever is attached a link i having a socket bearing in the piston The shorter end of the lever 3 is connected, through a rod 5, with the stem ot' a water discharge valve 6, in the discharge pipe e. y

'l`he steam valve control mechanism, namely: the parts g, n and p, is so counterbalanced that it has a dead center between its two extreme positions and hence remains in either ot' those positions until positively shifted toward the opposite position. When said mechanism is moved to one side or the other ot' its dead center it completes its own movement in that direction so that the operation ot' the valve is much quicker than it would be it' its actuating mechanism were moved, throughout its entire range of movement, by the lioat. Friction, however, may more or less limit the extent of the automatic movement; but regardless ot the extent to which its automatic movement is thereby effected, it is evident that once the valve control mechanism is moved into position to either open or close the needle valve, the valve will remain in that position until the float again actuates the valve control mechanism,

ln actual operation, the inlet pipe c leads from a steam exhaust main or drain. Steam and water ot' condensation from this pipe strike the detlector d and collect at the bottom of this casing. The valve control mechanism is in the position shown in full lines and the steam valve it is held open. As soon, therefore, as steam enters the trap, it is admitted to cylinder QJ and lifts piston m, closing the discharge valve against the pressure otl water tending to open it.

As the level of the water in the trap rises, the float s rises, raising the stem 1. When the water approaches the level at which it is predetermined to clear the trap, the stop u contacts with the lever g and moves the valve control mechanism beyond its dead center, whereupon its movement is automatically completed (the parts moving to the dotted line position), and the needle valve closes. The steam. in cylinder o escapes through the vent .a and what does not escape starts to condense and lose its volume, so that upward pressure upon the piston is immediately relieved. The valve 6 immediately opens under the pressure of water in the pipe e and the water is blown out of the trap.

As the water level lowers, the iloat sinks and the stop u leaves the lever Z, while the stop t approaches it. The valve, however, is held closed by its control mechanism until the latter is actuated by stop t and is thereby moved toward the position shown in full lires. The latter part of this movement is el'fectcd automatically, as hereinbeore described, and the needle valve is fully opened'.

Steam now again enters the cylinder o and litts the piston w, which returns thel discharge valve 6 to closed position. This completes the cycle of operations.

lt will be understood that without any throttling of the steam vent a, water vapor will escape constantly or intermittently through the vent during the time that the trap is lling.l This is not particularly objectionable. However, it is preferred to throttle this vent, or practically close it, during this part of the operation. This 'is eected by means of a stopper 7, which is secured to one end of a bell-crank lever 8, the other end being upheld by the piston The bell crank is pivoted on a bracket 9. As long, therefore, as the valve it is held open, the vent e is closed; but when the valve it is closed and the steam confined in the cylinder starts to condense, a very slight lowering of this piston m frees the bell crank 8, and the steam in the vent a displaces the stopper 7, the bell crank 8 swinging out until it contacts with the stop l0 on the bracket 9. When the valve it is again opened the lifting of the piston swings the bell crank 8 into position to cause the stopper 7 to again close the vent a.

Having now fully described my invention,

what l desire to claim and protect by Letters Patent is:

l. 1n a steam trap, the combination with a tank having an inlet and an outlet, of a discharge valve controlling the outlet, a cylinder, a steam valve controlling the admission ot steam from the tank to the cylinder, a piston in the cylinder, connections from the piston to the discharge valve adapted, when the piston is steam-actuated, to be operated to close the discharge valve, valve-control mechanism connected with the steam valve and adapted in opposite positions to hold the valve respectively open and closed, and a float in the tank movable independently of the valve-control mechanism throughout the greater part of its movement up or down but adapted, as it approaches its upper and lower limits of movement, to move the valve-control mechanism away from its valve-opening and valve-closing positions respectively.

2. A steam trap comprising a tank having an inlet and an outlet, a discharge valve controlling the outlet, a cylinder, a piston in the cylinder, a steam valve adapted when open to supply steam to the cylinder at one side ot' the piston, a vent in the cylinder on the same side of said piston, a float in the tank adapted to control the operation of the steam valve. and means controlled by the piston to throttle said vent.

3. A steam trap comprising a tank having an inlet and an outlet. a discharge valve controlling the outlet, a cylinder, a piston in the cylinder, a steam valve adapted when 'open to supply steam to the cylinder at one side of the piston, a vent in the cylinder at the same side of said piston, a float in the tank adapted to control the operation of the steam Valve, a pivoted lever, and a stopper for said vent carried by said lever, said piston adapted, when actuated by steam admitted to the cylinder, to operate said lever to cause said stopper to throttle said vent.

In testimony of which invention, I have l0 hereunto set my hand, at Philadelphia, Pa., on this 18th day of October, 1917.

-Louis R. MERTENS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

